The present invention relates to an A/D conversion circuit, an electronic instrument, and the like.
In order to implement a ubiquitous network society, a sensor network that is formed by connecting a plurality of sensors through a network and acquires information from each sensor to comprehensively determine the situation is necessary. Such a sensor network utilizes various sensors such as a thermosensor, a smoke sensor, an optical sensor, a human detection sensor, a pressure sensor, a biosensor, and a gyrosensor. A sensor detection signal differs in amplitude, DC offset, frequency band, and the like corresponding to the type of sensor.
Since the sensor detection signal (sensor signal) is an analog signal, it is necessary to convert the analog sensor detection signal into digital data in order to analyze and determine information using a CPU or the like. Therefore, an A/D conversion circuit (analog front-end circuit) that converts an analog detection signal output from a sensor into digital data is used. For example, JP-A-2007-117586 and JP-A-2007-285745 disclose related-art A/D conversion circuits.
An A/D conversion circuit has been generally developed as a sensor-specific IC. Therefore, when a new sensor has been developed, an A/D conversion circuit IC used for the new sensor must be developed and produced by way of trial. This process is very expensive. In this case, a general-purpose A/D conversion circuit IC may be used. However, since a sensor detection signal differs in amplitude and frequency band, it is difficult to deal with a new sensor using a general-purpose A/D conversion circuit IC. Therefore, the user cannot easily produce an IC for various sensors by way of trial.